How does adding an extra team make for an easier schedule? Instead of playing that team once + 3 extra random western teams we play that team four times. Because one of those games would stay the same and two are home games that means that we would have either 1 or maybe 2 games that are a little closer to home. Considering the advantage you are giving to the West I don't think a single eastern team would be for that.

It's not making the travel any easier for the east. But they already enjoy that advantage and appear to be against re-alignment because they don't want to give up that advantage. In particular Philly, NYR, NYI, NJD, Boston all enjoy an amazing advantage in travel cost.

a 14-16 conference split preserves that advantage for the east (plus 1 current west team), and it finally gives the west some type of advantage.